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I walked from my tiny house in the backyard of our home, to the porch across the back side of our home. It was Sunday morning, July 13, around 9:15 am. At 12-15 feet above the ground, two large soaring, swooping, fast-flying figures came into focus from my left, quickly rising to 45 feet above in the neighbor's massive oak tree. The two Cooper Hawks, momma and "flight-trainee" youngster, sat perched high above me, youngster waiting for mother's next command. It was a gift I gladly received, as I … [Read more...]

An Unselfish Corporate Gesture
(an amazing offer in defense of our children's' future).
I read, yesterday, with joy and absolute delight, in my late-arriving emails, of the most amazing and unselfish gesture I've read about in my lifetime.
Elon Musk, Founder and Chairman of Tesla Motors, extended a HUGE helping hand to the entire automobile manufacturing industry. In a simple act of caring and kindness, to ensure that our children have a decent chance of living a life in a world that is … [Read more...]

I sit on my balcony deck each morning, many mornings with Margaret, my wife, and read my morning prayers. What a joy it is to mindfully listen to the all that Mother Earth provides us if we just take a few minutes to slow down and listen.
We live in an urban environment. It is amazing to me how much of what the Great Mother offers us is still available when we stop to reconnect with her.
After my prayers, I sit in mindful meditation, simply listening, most often with my eyes closed, to the … [Read more...]

It must have been shortly after the beginning of January 2013, when I opened my email and read a message from 350.org, announcing a Forward on Climate Rally to be held in DC on February 17, 2013.
I was heavily engaged in a physical health battle with Lyme Disease, unable to travel, and was quite frustrated because I longed to be there with all the others who would say "NO" to the Keystone XL pipeline. This has been an issue that grabbed my attention early on, simply because the extraction … [Read more...]

I, Tom Kemper, support these 13 reasons
we should not allow the Keystone XL tar sands oil to flow.
(I've borrowed much of the following background and facts of which you may or may not be aware, regarding
the Keystone XL (KXL) Pipeline from various sources. I credit those sources at the end of this article.)
Where do you stand?
In January, President Obama, under pressure from environmental groups and a congressionally-mandated deadline, rejected TransCanada's permit … [Read more...]

If you are a parent or a grandparent, if you have not taken a stand in opposition to the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline, what in the world are you thinking? You have an obligation to your children, and to your grandchildren to leave them a planet on which they will be able to live. We all owe that to those who will need, just as we needed, a planet that is as livable as we've enjoyed.
I often ponder the question, "Why would a parent sock away money for their child's, or, their … [Read more...]

Thank you Mother.
Plain and simple, if not for you, we could not breathe. We could not eat, and, we could not receive quench for our thirst. It all comes because you've been so resilient, and so forgiving. You've taken care of our needs for millions of years, never asking for anything in return.
When we needed warmth, you gave us wood to burn, then coal, then other fuels, as we've exploited each and all, never blinking an eye at the damage and hurt we've caused you. If we needed clothes, … [Read more...]

I am currently reading a book by one of my spiritual guides, Thich Nhat Hanh.
The following excerpt is from Chapter 1 of his book "Love Letter to the Earth"
Chapter 1 -- We Are the Earth
At this very moment, the Earth is above you, below you, all around you, and even inside you. The Earth is everywhere. You may be used to thinking of the Earth as only the ground beneath your feet. But the water, the sea, the sky, and everything around us comes from the Earth. Everything outside us … [Read more...]

Many terms get thrown around in the field of sustainability, with some carrying more weight than others. Amid all the terminology floating about, “post-consumer recycled” is truly one worth knowing — and understanding.
In simple terms, post-consumer recycled (PCR) refers to the portion of reused material that might be part of a product’s total material composition. It’s the recycled portion of a product that’s derived from material collected by the consumer after the product from which … [Read more...]